King Salman Sends Message to Oman’s Sultan amid Mediation to End Yemen Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
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King Salman Sends Message to Oman’s Sultan amid Mediation to End Yemen Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in the Omani capital Muscat on Monday to deliver an oral message from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.

The Saudi official had arrived in Muscat amid anticipation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ response to an Omani mediation to end the war in Yemen.

Oman’s state news agency (ONA) reported that the King Salman’s message tackled bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and sultanate.

Prince Faisal met with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi during his brief visit.

An Omani delegation had concluded last week a weeklong visit to the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa to discuss a United Nations peace proposal with the militia leaders.

ONA did not report on the outcomes of the trip, but diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Omani officials likely informed the Saudi delegation of their results.

The sources revealed that an Omani delegation is expected in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday to brief them on the Sanaa trip.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed bin Mubarak had declared on Sunday that the legitimate government has yet to receive any response from Oman about its mediation.

A government official told Asharq Al-Awsat that mystery still surrounds the Omani efforts, “but the signals we have received so far are not encouraging, and unfortunately, negative.”



Dozens Injured, Missing Following Explosion at Qatar’s Barzan Plant

This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (AFP)
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Dozens Injured, Missing Following Explosion at Qatar’s Barzan Plant

This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (AFP)
This picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on February 6, 2017. (AFP)

An explosion tore through Qatar's key natural gas export terminal Sunday night following an operational incident, causing a fire that hurt at least 54 people as another 18 were still missing.

QatarEnergy announced that the fire, which broke out after an operational incident during the start-up of operations at the Barzan plant in Ras Laffan Industrial City, has been brought under control.

In a statement, it said the incident resulted in an explosion and fire at the plant, which is dedicated to meeting local gas needs, noting that emergency response teams were immediately deployed and were able to contain and extinguish the fire.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed that a number of injuries resulted from the explosion.

The incident was caused by a technical malfunction during operation, with no leakage posing a risk to public safety, it stressed in a post on the X platform.


Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye Push for Swift Progress in US-Iran Talks

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye pose for a family photo in Cairo on Sunday. (SPA)
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye pose for a family photo in Cairo on Sunday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye Push for Swift Progress in US-Iran Talks

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye pose for a family photo in Cairo on Sunday. (SPA)
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye pose for a family photo in Cairo on Sunday. (SPA)

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye pushed for swift progress in US-Iran talks at a meeting in Cairo on Sunday, as negotiations between the two foes began in Switzerland.

In a joint statement, the ministers called for a "swift and successful conclusion" to negotiations aimed at reaching a solution to outstanding issues that is "lasting, verifiable and mutually acceptable", while taking into account regional concerns, particularly the security and stability of Gulf states.

The meeting also addressed the Israeli military escalation against Lebanon and stressed the importance of continued coordination and consultations to sustain the diplomatic track, mitigate the repercussions of the crisis, and restore security and stability across the region.

Present at the meeting were Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Egyptian FM Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Pakistani FM Ishaq Dar and Turkish FM Hakan Fidan.


Saudi FM Attends Meeting with Egyptian and Turkish Counterparts and US Adviser in Cairo

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah.(SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah.(SPA)
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Saudi FM Attends Meeting with Egyptian and Turkish Counterparts and US Adviser in Cairo

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah.(SPA)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah.(SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah took part in a meeting in Cairo with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty, Türkiye's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, and Senior Advisor to the US President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The participants discussed a range of regional developments, with a particular focus on the situations in Sudan and Libya, and reviewed ongoing joint efforts to promote security, stability, and political solutions in both countries.

The meeting was also attended by Prince Musab bin Mohammed Al Farhan, Adviser to the Saudi Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, and Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini.